How to Keep Anxiety From Spiraling, on Stage and Off

As a kid, I had a habit of scanning the audience to see if I could catch a glimpse of my mom's reactions to my performance.

Generally, she'd be making a frowny sort of face, which didn't feel great then, but I now understand was probably more a look of concern, rather than disapproval.

I don't know why I did that, because it didn't help. And how freaky must that have been for the people in the audience? Especially in the vicinity of my mom? Like, what the heck is this kid looking at? Wait...is he looking at me?

Anyhow, I mention this because I found a study that reminded me of this old habit. Essentially, a team of researchers found that high and low-anxious folks tend to focus on very different things during a stressful task, and that this difference in attention was associated with either a milder or more severe stress response.

With college auditions coming up in the next couple months, this seemed like a particularly relevant tip that could come in pretty handy, whether during the playing bits or interview bits.

Get all the nerdy details and this week’s practice hack right here:

​How to Keep Anxiety From Spiraling, on Stage and Off

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Have you ever wondered why it is exactly that things often sound better at home than they do on stage?

If you’ve been confused (and frustrated) by the inconsistency of your performances, I put together a free 18-question quiz called the Mental Skills Audit, which will help you pinpoint your mental strengths and weaknesses and figure out what to tweak in your preparation.

It’s 100% free, takes only 4 minutes, and you’ll get a downloadable PDF with a personalized breakdown of where you stand in six key mental skill areas. You'll also get Pressure Proof, a 7-day email course where you'll learn specific practice strategies designed to help shrink the gap between practice and performance and play your best when it matters most.

Take the quiz here: bulletproofmusician.com/msa